February, 2015

Like the Amazonian rainforest, Bangkok is a wildly diverse ecosystem — teeming with an infinite number of specimens, living in an infinite array of habitats. Cartoonist Kathy MacLeod (of BK Magazine’s “That’s What She Said” fame) has selected and illustrated eight of these distinct ecosystems with surprise interactive elements.

The large and stunningly detailed drawings are accompanied by a Field Guide which visitors can use to spot uniquely Bangkokian species in their natural habitats. Learn about the different types of sexpats, their distinguishing characteristics, and see where you can spot them in the drawings. Explore the symbiotic relationship between Khao Sarn Road backpackers and the jaded vendors who cater to their whims. Observe the migratory habits of Chinese tour groups and see how many unique varieties of Sleeping Old Man you can spot in Chinatown. A small pop-up shop celebrates the materialism that makes Bangkok Bangkok, and an interactive display invites visitors to reconstruct the city according to their wildest visions.

Kathy’s characterizations of human behaviour and stereotypes become visual symbols and a shorthand for more complicated issues. The cartoon-like characters and deliberately naive style Kathy employs serves to lower the guard of the viewer to allow her subtly tragic or obviously cruel messages catch the unsuspecting reader by surprise.

Kathy MacLeod is an illustrator and cartoonist whose work leans towards the autobiographical and deeply personal. Born and raised in Bangkok, she has often used the city with all its contradictions and zany characters as the backdrop to her comic adventures. Often the star of her own stories, she sees her work as an ongoing documentation of her own life which she is relentless compelled to record. For "Build Your Own Bangkok", she turns the focus around to the world outside with the same intimate and humorous touch yet never overlooking the pathos of life.